For You
by ZhenLe
Summary: It's Valentine's Day. And even though Makoto isn't a girl, he decides that it's time to confess to someone special. Making chocolates can be a hassle though, especially when you have very curious younger siblings.


**_For the last day of the MakoHaru Festival!~_**

* * *

It's past midnight. All is quiet in the Tachibana residence. Everyone is sleeping, with the exception of a particularly jittery brunet.

He stumbles out of bed, a little tired but determined. Determined to carry out his mission.

In the kitchen, Makoto turns on the lights and gets to work. It's Valentine's Day, and Makoto has a very special person in mind. (And even though he's not the girl, he absolutely cannot wait for White Day).

Of course, he would have made the chocolates yesterday, but with his parents around and two hyperactive twins always clinging to his side, such things can be a _little_ bit embarrassing.

Makoto has made sure to prepare all ingredients and utensils before hand, finding them all easily and setting them on the table.

"Yosh, I can do this!"

He takes a messily written instruction manual from his pocket, one that he had written a few days ago, and squints at it. _I can't afford to make a mistake._

Each step is done with care, his concentration is to be admired. Makoto has never been so careful in his life.

Everything is going well, when all of a sudden.

"Onii-chan!"

Makoto shrieks and drops whatever he was holding. Melted chocolate splatters on the table, a metal spoon falls to the ground.

"Ran, Ren! What are you doing here?"

"Onii-chan, what are you doing?" Ren asks, jumping onto Makoto's back.

"Is that chocolate?!" Ran squeals, eyeing the bars of cooking chocolate on the table.

"Argh, wait no stop!"

It takes Makoto a good five minutes to get the twins to settle down again.

"Look, onii-chan has to make something for, uh, someone special. So please go back to sleep okay? You can have some chocolate tomorrow."

"Who's the special person?" Ren glances at his twin sister.

"Is it," Ran lowers her voice in suspense with a slight smirk and mischievous eyes, "Haru nii-chan?"

Makoto's face flares up immediately as he lunges out to grab the twins.

"Woah onii-chan calm down! We already knew from the beginning" Ren stifles a little giggle, much to Makoto's embarrassment.

"Let's not bother onii-chan, Ren. He's making something for a _special_ person" his twin sister teases as they both run out of the kitchen giggling hysterically.

Makoto, utterly defeated and not to mention embarrassed, sighs and sinks down onto the chair nearest to him.

_They can be so hard to handle…_

He's up the next second, however. Something's burning right behind him and it doesn't smell pleasant at all.

"Ack! No!"

The second batch of chocolate Makoto had been melting when the twins came in sits in its vessel, smoking and charred.

But Makoto doesn't want to throw it away – it's such a waste. And besides, it's not _that_ burnt.

_Maybe I'll eat it myself._

He continues working through the night, not caring how sweaty or sticky he's become, because he's awaiting Valentine's Day eagerly.

* * *

"Makoto. Makoto."

Makoto opens his eyes slowly, suddenly taking notice of the loud voices all around him. Voices of his classmates chattering eagerly as they head out of school. He gets up and stretches slightly, before looking to the person who had poked him awake.

It's Haru. Well of course its Haru, who else would it be?

"Sorry, Haru. Looks like I fell asleep…hehe"

"Makoto. Why are you so tired?"

"Eh? Oh, it's nothing. I just had a hard time getting Ran and Ren to sleep."

That was sort of the truth, wasn't it? The twins had been a handful last night. Makoto's attention turns to the chocolates in his bag. He gulps, anxious and rather embarrassed.

"Are you sure it wasn't because of all those girls chasing you?"

Makoto's face flushes as the memory resurfaces. He remembers being chased around the whole school by overenthusiastic girls with their boxes of chocolate just for him. He'd never accept honmei chocolate though – Makoto didn't return the same romantic feelings towards those girls.

"Of course not, Haru. Should we go for practice?"

"Come over."

That was Haru's usual way of inviting Makoto to his place after swim practice, and, as usual, the other accepted in a heartbeat.

In the living room, Makoto sets down his schoolbag and makes himself comfortable. He's pretty exhausted after swim training, and is glad for a time to relax. Haru places his bag next to Makoto before walking off to the kitchen.

"Wait there" he instructs.

Makoto wipes his clammy hands on his pants for the umpteenth time that day, and proceeds to open his bag.

It's right there, staring back at him. The bag of heart-shaped chocolates, that is, all in colourful cups and decorated with sprinkles.

He takes it gently, trying to calm the frenzied beating of his heart. He had wanted to do this, he had stayed awake last night just to do this, this was his goal. Makoto wasn't going to give up.

The sound of Haru's soft footsteps on the ground almost makes him lose his nerve and determination, however. But he bites his lips and presses on. _I have to do this._

"Haru!" he calls as the boy re-enters the living room.

Makoto immediately notices a slight hint of anxiousness in Haru's eyes, and wonders why. He doesn't ask though, and waits for Haru to take a seat beside him.

"Haru, uhm…"

The curious blue eyes that are staring up at him make Makoto realise that he can't go back now. He absolutely positively has to do this, there's no way out.

"Actually…I-I made these for you…"

Makoto hands the bag to Haru, trembling ever so slightly. He's nervous after all, but who wouldn't be in this situation?

"Makoto"

"I'm sorry Haru, they're probably really bad. I'm not really good in the kitchen, but I hope you'll appreciate it."

"Makoto"

"Haru, Haru the truth is…" Makoto gulps, a painful feeling in his chest, "I-I love you."

He hears a soft gasp, but he doesn't look at Haru – he can't. So Makoto continues pouring out his feelings.

"I really love Haru, I don't know when it started, maybe I've loved you from the beginning. But you've always been by my side, you've always been here for me. And Haru, I really don't know when it started. But whenever I saw you, my heart would start to beat really fast. I thought it was nothing, but it became worse and worse, I always felt so, so _strange_ around you. I didn't realise that I was in love with you."

Makoto squeezes his eyes shut in embarrassment.

"Haru, I love you."

Makoto doesn't have time to open his eyes before a pair of lips gently touch his own.

They're warm, soft. There's even a slight taste of chlorinated water. _Haru._

It disappears all too soon though. Makoto opens his eyes, beet red and flustered.

"H-Haru!"

His eyes are met with a smaller bag of chocolates, one that's resting in Haru's palm. Behind that is a very, _very_ red face.

Makoto could swear that he heard a soft 'baka Makoto' wafting in the air, but his mind is too muddled to register anything.

"Makoto."

The brunet looks into Haru's blue eyes. The windows to his soul, to his very thoughts. Eyes that contain everything Haru is too embarrassed to say at the moment.

And Makoto cannot believe the message they are holding right now.

_I love you too, Makoto._


End file.
